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Yedisan
This country is part of the Altverse universe. |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Konstantine Lordkipanidze |leader_title2 = Chancellor |leader_name2 = Vladimer Gogichaishvili |legislature = State Assemblies |upper_house = State Council |lower_house = State Congress |established_event1 = Kingdom of Meskheti |established_date1 = 1502 |established_event2 = Independence from the Ottoman Empire |established_date2 = 17th August, 1882 |established_event3 = People's Republic of Meskheti |established_date3 = December 12, th, 1945 |established_event4 = Current Constitution |established_date4 = December 4 th 1989 |area_km2 = 57, 908 |area_sq_mi = 22, 357 |population_estimate = 4,263,411 |population_estimate_year = 2014 |GDP_nominal = $39.698 billion |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $9,309 |Gini = |HDI = 0.777 |HDI_year = 2014 |HDI_category = |HDI_rank = 85th |currency = Euro |currency_code = |time_zone = |utc_offset = |utc_offset_DST = |DST_note = |DST = |time_zone_DST = |drives_on = right |cctld = .mk |calling_code = +932}} Meskheti (Georgian: მესხეთის; Meskhet’is) formally known as the Republic of Meskheti (რესპუბლიკა მესხეთის; Respublika Meskhet’is) is a sovereign state located in , boarding , and . Its capital and largest city is Pashvillak, and its total population of 4, 263, 411 people. Meskheti is a , with the president acting has head of state and the chancellor the . Originally the home to Slavic nomads the modern state of Meskheti was formed when settlers sailed across the to trade with Kievian traders in modern day Ukraine. Establishing the port city of Pashvillak, the Georgian settlers eventually inhabited large tacts of land. When the Kingdom of Georgia split in 1490 the Georgian settlers in Pashvillak declared the formation of the Kingdom of Meskheti, named after the Southern regions of Georgia. The Meskhetians fought with the Kievians, until drawing up roughly the modern day boarders of Meskheti. The Kingdom embraced the religion becoming a blend of European and Georgian culture with vibrant trade across the Black Sea. However in 1548 Meskheti was conquered by the , only gaining independence from them in 1882 as the reformed Holy State of Meskhati. During Meskheti was initially unaligned, before siding with the in 1915, only to be occupied by Romania a year later. Civil war in Meskheti against the Slavic minority led General Simoni Vardzelashvili, the leader of the Meskhetian National Fascist Party, taking power as Chief Minister of Meskheti. Vardzelashvili oversaw Meskheti economically develop, but also advicated mass oppression and the genocide of Slavs in Meskheti. In 1942 Vardzelashvili sided with in fighting on the in as well as contribute towards the of Eastern Europe. Soviet forces occupied Meskheti in 1944, overseeing the creation of the People's Democratic Republic of Meskheti. Under its second general secretary Rusiko Zhorzholiani Meskheti became one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in the . Pro-democracy protests in 1989 saw the overthrow of the communist regime and Meskheti's transitions towards a capitalist, democratic country. Since 1991, the north western most portion of Meskheti has been under the control of the Slavic Liberation army as part of the Republic of Kryve. Meskheti has struggled economically since democratisation, with shock therapy economics leading to poverty and inequality within Meskheti. Meskheti is a member of the League of Nations, , , and . Etymology History Early history Georgian settlers In 1450 Georgian settlers led by Zhordania Dzhugashvili sailed across the to , partly to establish trade relations and partly to escape from the political turmoil that faced the . The vogue saw many onboard the ships die, with the journey taking over six months. However in 1451 Dzhugashvili arrived at the coast of Eastern Europe, where he set up the port town of Pashvillak. In 1467 a second vogue led by Solomon Erelishi saw more Georgians emigrate to Pashvillak, where the Georgian settlers began to expand mainly as farmers. In 1469 Dzhugashvili crowned himself as the King of Pashvillak, and ordered the settlers to continue expansion into surrounding lands. The Kingdom of Pashvillak for its first 25 years saw opposition from neighbouring city states, prompting the Georgians to often fight against these city states for control. Despite the odd territorial gains in 1501]]Pashvillak remained isolated with the kingdom facing very little expansion. The ascension of King Akaki II in 1493 saw the Kingdom of Pashvillak change its name to the kingdom of Meskheti, after the southern regions of Georgia. Akaki II saw Meskheti develop a strictly society as well as establish the Meskhetian Orthodox Church. Akaki helped develop Meskheti as an important trading post with Meskhetian goods such as cloths being traded along the Black Sea to the and the modern territories of and . During this time Meskheti became militarily weak facing attacks from the and . This military weakness prompted King Akaki II in 1512 to enforce conscription in Meskheti, creating the first real army of Meskheti. Despite this Meskheti was still dependent on Ottoman military support to protect it from hostile neighbours. By 1540 Meskheti was almost entirely in the throes of the Ottoman Empire which remained the only state that was willing to support the fledgeling state. Meskheti itself became more isolated as members of the clergy became the dominant figures in Meskhetian society, and principal advisor's to the king. Many of these priests saw the Ottoman empire as a threat due to its strong Islamic traditions, and thus began to advise against forging closer relations. Ottoman occupation The coronation of Queen Ketevan I of Meskheti in 1542 almost immediately saw relations deteriorate between the Meskheti and the Ottoman Empire, with Queen Ketevan seeing the Islamic influence of the Ottomans as a threat to the Eastern Orthodox Church which by this time had become deeply engrained into Meskhetian society. This effectively cut off Meskhetian trading routes with many in Meskheti living in squalor and poverty. In 1548 the Ottomans invaded Meskheti taking Pashvillak relatively quickly. Queen Ketevan on the advice of the clergy and her lords signed an agreement with the Ottomans, with Meskheti becoming an within the empire. Early Ottoman rule saw the introduction of Islam to Meskheti. The Eastern Orthodox Church's role was severely limited under Ottoman rule with Meskheti's religious traditions being oppressed by the Ottomans. Most unpopular was the Ottoman policy of which resulted in civil unrest in Meskheti. This civil unrest caused the Ottomans to enforce harsher measures onto Meskheti, although resistance still remained in the north of the country where Eastern Orthodox traditions were still practiced as the norm. Holy Imperium of Meskheti The decline of the Ottoman empire in the late 1800's reignited the nationalist movement in Meskheti, with many showing open resistance to the Ottomans through the more frequent use of the Georgian language. After civil unrest in Pashvillak the Ottomans negotiated the Treaty of Hirashibli which saw the creation of the Holy State of Pashvillak ruled by the Patriarch of the Meskhetian Orthodox Church Ivane II in 1864. Modernisation in the Ottoman empire enabled Ivane to rapidly increase the power of the clergy, with frequent resistance to Ottoman rule demonstrated resulting in conflict erupting within Meskheti. In 1880 Patriarch Abraam I of Pashvillak sought aid from and in the Meskhetian Uprising, where the Ottoman empire was pushed out of Meskheti after two years of conflict. The Slavic vassal state to the Ottoman empire, the Kingdom of Korgochyan, was divided between Russia and Meskheti, with much of the northern regions of Korgochyan being given to the Russia in return for the Russian military support. Upon the independence of Meskheti a democratic republic was formed, with the first party elected being the Conservative Party. However factional rivalry and political polarisation primarily between the Conservative and Industrialist party's led to the republic being politically unstable especially with constant fighting in the northern regions. In 1887 Meskheti descended into civil war as the political rivalry reached its peak with the Church deeming the government to be heretical. The war was mainly fought between republicans who wished for a democratic secular state and loyalists to the Church who saw the republic as a mistake. The war ended only a year later with the republicans falling easily, possibly due to a lack of support from the peasant classes. The Holy Imperium of Meskheti was established with a . The Patriarch of Meskheti Abraam I held all power over Meskheti with there being no formal democratic representation. Much of the Ottoman traditions were abolished with the fostering of traditional Meskhetian culture promoted. Abraam I also oversaw the rehabilitation of Meskhetian patriotic figures such as Zhordania Dzhugashvili and Akai II. Even the previously reviled Ketevan I was romanticised as a staunch Meskhetian nationalist. In 1888 Abraam I had the government embark on rapid industrialisation programs, with Pashvillak once again becoming a major trading post for Eastern European nations. This industrialisation saw the growth of culture and business in Meskheti, although it also created a large gap between the increasingly wealthy nobility and clergy and the workers who lived in poverty. During this period Meskheti forged extremely close relations to Romania, primarily out of protection against the Russian Empire which the government feared would try and annexe Meskheti. In 1901 Ivane III became the patriarch of Meskheti. Ivane implemented the first democratic governmental system in Meskheti, which consisted of an bicameral legislature with the Chancellor of Meskheti serving as the head of government. Church officials served in the Holy Council of Meskheti, the upper house of the new government and elected representatives in the Congress of Meskheti. The first elections in Meskheti were held in 1902 with the Christian Democratic Party winning a majority of the seats, with Alexsandre Iosava elected as the first Chancellor. The government encouraged the rapid buildup of the Meskhetian military, seeking to emulate ideals of militarism and efficiency as adopted by the as well as there a perceived threat of Russian invasion. The government appealed to nationalist sentiment in Meskheti to gain support, with the Chancellor Iosava overseeing the militarisation of Meskheti. By 1905 Meskheti had entered economic stagnation due to the huge build up of military forces coordinated by Ivane III and Iosava. The standard of living steadily dropped, but support for these reforms remained high as they were seen as a logical measure to prevent a Russian invasion. The declaration of war against by and the subsequent escalation saw Meskheti remain neutral. Primarily this was due to Russia's declaration of war with Meskheti fearing that any open alliance with either Germany or Austria-Hungary would be seen as a provocation. Economic trade was still conducted with the Ottoman Empire and however. Russia's military defeats however led Iosava to convince the military to declare alliance to the , with Meskhetian forces engaging in warfare with Russian in 1916. Meskheti at first faced several small military victories, but were soon economically isolated. Later that year Romania joined the war by launching the Tbeketheobis offensive against Meskheti, taking over the southern regions of the nation. Meskhetian forces were able to displace the Romanians 14 months later, but were facing economic failure due to its fighting both Russia and Romania. In 1917 Ivane III died with Simoni I coming to power as patriarch. Abraam encouraged a peace treaty, but Iosava refused to withdraw the Meskhetian military from fighting, causing a political crisis in Meskheti with very little agreement being made between the government and the church over Meskheti's status in the war. The and the new Bolshevik government saw the Dsilubri peace agreement where Meskheti agreed never to threaten or attack the in return for Russia to cease hostilities with Meskheti. Despite this the Romanian front remained critical for Meskheti, with the nation struggling to oppose Romanian armies. On the 12th September 1918 Iosava was forced to surrender with Romanian forces marching into Pashvillak. Romania occupied Meskheti for a year, quelling remaining Meskhetian resistance. Meskheti itself had been ruined by the war, with the recorded deaths of around 52,400 soldiers with many undocumented. Iosava was blamed for the defeat of Meskheti, and subsequently fled to . After the military occupation by Romania ended, Meskheti held democratic elections under Patriarch Simoni I. Despite this mass protests were staged in the northern Slavic regions, where an increase in food prices and a decrease in wages had led to poverty in the region. The Russian Revolution inspired communist insurgents to proclaim the creation of the Soviet Republic of Kryve, causing civil war in Meskheti. The Second Meskhetian civil war lasted until 1923 when nationalist forces supported by the church and the military took the city of Korgochyan effectively ending the rebellion. Simoni I had the pro-church, party the Meskhetian National Fascist Party formed to support complete church control in Meskheti. Simoni I implemented and attitudes to Mskhetian political society, consolidating his power by having various opposition parties such as the Liberal Party outlawed whilst absorbing others like the Conservative Party into the National Fascists as well as excommunicating several members of church who opposed his politicising of the church. Within four months Simoni I effectively held all power over the state, enjoying support from the National Fascists, the military and his own subordinates within the church. Inspired by in Italy, Simoni I's government oversaw a policy of economic , with heavy industry and agricultural projects encouraged. Simoni I had the National Fascists work with private corporations to encourage a self sufficient Meskheti that nevertheless upheld capitalist economics, with Simoni I banning all , , and movements. The economy however still struggled with a medium birthrate and a shortage of workers. During the 1920's Simoni I oversaw further extent of his power by suppressing culture in Meskheti. Playwright Giorgi Palavandishvili, musicians the Mdivani brothers (who popularised opera and European style classical music in Meskheti) and film maker Murtaz Nikoladze who directed and released the first film to be produced in Meskheti, The Velvet Killer, were all arrested and imprisoned by the government. Simoni I also was able to shut down many theatres, opera houses and cinemas which were deemed centres of vice. In 1928 Simoni I banned the speaking of Slavic in Meskheti, and created a secret police force, the ETDL (National Defence and Intelligence League). Oppression towards Slavs became widespread with many imprisoned or deported to workhouses. Due to Meskheti's relative economic isolation the did not hugely affect Meskheti initially. However a rise in poverty and food prices resulted in nationwide riots. Simoni I cracked down on the protesters brutally, fearing a communist revolution, blaming the poverty on the Slavic peoples, of which he decried as "Bolshevik scum". This encouraged further violence against Slavs in Meskheti, many of whom were unable to escape from Meskheti. Simoni I's rule started to see the rise in in Meskheti. Based primarily around the ideas of criminal anthropologist in which a persons physical characteristics could determine if they were a "natural criminal". Those deemed to be natural criminals were seen as and , being often "shot like dogs". Many of those accused of being natural criminals came from the Slavic and communities in Meskheti, both of which were murdered in workhouses and by the ETDL. Others were reduced to little more then slaves, being made to work in factories with almost no food and dangerous working conditions. Workers were expected to work their full shift with no breaks, with many dying within the factory itself was exhaustion. The rise of and the promoted Simoni I to closely align himself with and Italy. As a result of an alliance with Germany Simoni I had propaganda increased in Meskheti with the concept of the being particular prevalent. The outbreak of saw Meskheti support the , with Simoni I enthusiastically pushing Meskheti into becoming a member of the . Meskheti's war effort remained minimal until the launch of in which Simoni I had much of Meskheti's armies attack the , breaking the Dsilubri peace agreement of 1917. Despite Meskheti sending troops into the Soviet Union Simoni I was hesitant to advance further into the USSR, instead imprisoning and executing more Slavs. Nevertheless Meskhetian forces were able to regain territories in Ukraine given to Russia in 1917, bringing the into those regions. Axis defeats at , , and forced the Meskhetian government to concede that it was fighting a losing war. Many within Meskheti led anti-fascist and socialist guerilla campaigns against the fascist government, with Meskheti soon been fought on two fronts - both by Soviet forces and by its own citizens. In January 1944 General Gurgen Svanidze launched a coup against Simoni I and the Minister of the Interior Davit Vardzelashvili, confining them both to house arrest. In a desperate move to prevent Soviet invasion, the Svanidze military government started to destroy workhouses and factories housing Slavs, Muslims and Jews who were often killed in mass graves and their bodies burnt. The military withdraw its declaration of war against the USSR, but this did not stop the from marching into Pashvillak in April 1944 with the assistance of communist rebels, where both Simoni I and Svanidze were captured. The Soviet occupation saw the imprisonment of many in the imperial regime, who were put on trial for , , , and . Many were sentenced to death, with public opinion forcing the Soviet-Meskhetian transitional government to stage the controversial public hanging of Simoni I. In 1945 following the and subsequent elections were held in Meskheti, with the Soviet backed Socialist Workers Party of Meskheti (SMPM) winning a majority of the seats in the newly formed People's Assembly, despite accusations of . Following this the Holy Imperium of Meskheti officially ceased to exist, with the new government completing the transition into a , the People's Republic of Meskheti. People's Republic of Meskheti Communist rule in Meskheti began with the nationalisation of Meskheti's remaining industries as well as purges in order to wipe away the last vestiges of Vardzelashvili's regime. Slavs, communists, socialists and political dissidents under Vardzelashvili were freed from prisons, with the Churchs power being greatly diminished, although, similarly to the Soviet Union, it was not completely abolished. The general secretary of the SMPM, Anzor Kvaratskhelia, followed a strictly pro-Soviet policy, implementing elements in his rule with the mass oppression of dissidents and . In 1952 Kvaratskhelia died of natural causes with his hand picked successor Rusiko Zhorzholiani taking power. ]]Zhorzholiani oversaw the removal of Soviet troops from Meskheti, and begun to implement even harsher policies in Meskheti, with the Secretariat of National Security was established to monitor the population of Meskheti extensively, being closely modelled on the Soviet and . The workhouses, labour camps and general oppression seen in the regime of Vardzelashvili were reinstated although on a much smaller scale. A growing personality cult arose around Zhorzholiani was fashioned himself as the Great Leader and Father of the Nation, as well as starting to foster a sense of Meskhetian nationalism. Despite this Meskheti remained a member of and the . Following the in , Zhorzholiani structured Meskhetian foreign policy to be largely independent to that of the Soviet Union, with Zhorzholiani denouncing the policies of . Meskheti's independent foreign policy enabled it to rebuild some relations with the west during the Khrushchev period. The leadership of saw relations between Meskheti and the USSR to greatly improve, with Zhorzholiani establishing further relations with other Eastern Bloc states, most notably under , East Germany under and under , who was greatly impressed by Zhorzholiani's personality cult and authoritarian style of governance. Similarly of , whilst not a communist, also imitated Zhorzholiani's cult of personality. This hardline style of government and independent foreign policy however caused mass protest against Zhorzholiani after the country was plunged into a near famine in 1976. Zhorzholiani worried that the USSR would invade Meskheti responded by proclaiming that Meskheti would embark on a path to what Zhorzholiani called "New Communism", which would see greater and a policy of the people first. New Communism saw greater government funding towards infrastructure and housing projects as well as consumer goods in Meskheti also being given a greater focus with food shortages reduced. Despite this culture and the lives of Meskhetians were still tightly controlled, with political repression being arguably more extreme in Meskheti with used frequently. International commentators stated that while living standards in Meskheti were quite high for an Eastern Bloc nation it was largely a farce so the ruling government could enact brutal oppression without fear of widespread protest. The accession of to of the and his policies of and resulted in a breakdown of relations between the Soviet Union and Meskheti, with Zhorzholiani refusing to adapt the policies of New Communism to include more political freedoms. Meskheti became increasingly authoritarian once again as it became isolated from the Soviet Union, forging closer ties with Romania, East Germany and Kurdistan. During the following the pro-democracy protests swept through Meskheti with many riots against the SMPM's monopoly of government. Others demanded for economic liberalisation whilst socialists called for the reimplementation of New Communism. Zhorzholiani responded by having troops and security forces crack down on the protesters. This crackdown was initially a success with it being predicted that Meskheti would remain under the control of the communist regime. However further protests in Pashvillak soon became out of control, with the politburo of the SMPM dismissing Zhorzholiani as general secretary. In September 1989 the SMPM announced that it would hold multi party elections in Meskheti in December, and would transition into a liberal democracy. The 1989 elections saw the Meskheti Democratic Party winning a majority in the People's Assembly, with the constitution of the newly formed Republic of Meskheti signed and put into effect the following year. Republic of Meskheti Shortly after the independence of Meskheti ethnic tensions arouse between the Slavs of Meskheti and the Georgian speaking majority, especially in the northern regions of Pervomaisk. On the 17th March the Slavic Liberation Army took control of much of the Perbomaisk region creating the self-declared Republic of Kryve. This resulted in the first modern Slavic-Meskhetian war with Meskhetian forces moving into Pervomaisk to nullify the insurgents. The war saw thousands displaced, with nationalist terrorist forces on both sides killing large amounts of the other. The Slavic-Meskhetian War saw temporary martial law enforced in Meskheti, with Slavic people suspected of being associated with the militants arrested and often tortured by the government. Many of these Slavs were funded by and associated with the previous communist regime. Meskheti started to appeal to western powers, curtailing the martial rule in exchange for military aid. In 1991 the Or'rebi peace agreement saw a temporary armistice line drawn, although the subsequent Slavic Spring in which Slavs in Kryve drove out Meskhetian troops saw Kryve become a de facto independent state. This resulted in actions by Meskhetian with many more Slavic people marginalised and discriminated against in Meskheti. During this time economic reform was implemented with the being diminished hugely. This caused nationwide inequality in Meskheti with the economy struggling to adapt to modern market trends. As more social projects were cut back discontent with the government grew with many being thrown into poverty. Chancellor Korneli Gotsiridze was widely accused of with political power being concentrated in the hands of a small group of business owners referred to as . In 1993 Gotsiridze resigned as Chancellor after being pressured to do so due to mass public protest after plans to privatise the healthcare system of Meskheti. In 1994 the second general elections were held in Meskheti where the Socialist Party of Meskheti won a majority of seats with Bidzina Dongvani being elected as Chancellor. Dongvani halted some of the uncontrolled economic reform in Meskheti, promising to once again implement a welfare state in Meskheti. Although the minimum wage was increased, largely social security were opposed by a State Council dominated by the Democrats. In 1999 the Socialists won once again with the Democrats influence in the State Assemblies greatly reduced, and Dongvani regaining the position of Chancellor. Dongvani's second chancellery saw Meskheti join following the of when it was under the control of the in Meskheti. In 2003 following the and the ousting of Meskheti sent forces to Iraq to help stabilise the country from and insurgents. The 2004 elections saw the Socialist Party under the new leadership of Elisabed Khutsishvili win the elections by only a narrow margin (8 seats in Congress). Khutsishvili's tenure was disrupted by protests that demanded the social welfare programs promised by Socialist Party to be implemented and to end in the government. These protests also led to a resurgence in with the Slavic Liberation Army conducting terrorist attacks in Korgochyan. In response to this Khutsishvili worked with labour unions to increase wages among workers and cut back of certain government institutions such as the military, with Meskheti withdrawing all military forces from Iraq in 2007. The of 2008 severely affected Meskheti with unemployment rising rapidly and wages being cut despite opposition from labour unions, who started to organise strikes in response to lower wages. The 2009 elections saw a staggering victory for the Democratic Party with Vladimer Gogichaishvili becoming Chancellor. Gogichaishvili greatly diminished the power of labour unions and cut back on areas of the welfare state whilst rejecting strict neoliberal policies. Although stimulating economic growth in Meskheti this caused manys personal income to stagnate and unemployment to remain largely prevalent in Meskheti. In 2010 Meskheti became a member of the . Politics Government Following the fall of communism Meskheti began the transition from into a . The Constitution of Meskheti labels the country as a , nation. Primarily politics take place within a with a . Officially Meskheti is a state, with the largest two political parties being the Meskheti Democratic Party and the Socialist Party of Meskheti. The second biggest parties are the Christian National Party and the Party of Meskheti]. The State Council of Meskheti serves as the of Meskheti whilst the State Congress is designated as the . Meskheti has a three tier system that mainly utilises . *The is the President of Meskheti who plays a largely ceremonial role. The President is however the of the military with the power to declare war, approve and ratify laws, and give pardons. The President also helps appoint members of the State Council. The president is elected every four years through a . *The body of Meskheti is divided into two houses - the State Council (upper house) and the State Congress (lower house). The State Council's 81 members are nominated and voted for by the seven elected district councils as well as being subject to review under the President. The State Congress are elected every four years in general elections through a voting system with . The party or coalition that has the most seats in the State Congress forms the official government of Meskheti. There are 81 seats in the State Council and 128 in the State Congress. *The branch of Meskheti is led by the Chancellor of Meskheti who serves as the . The Chancellor is the leader of the political party that either holds a majority of seats in the State Congress (at least 65) or is the leader of a coalition. The Chancellor is responsible for putting together the Chancellery of Meskheti, a cabinet of ministers who are picked from members of the ruling party in the State Congress by the Chancellor. The Chancellery is responsible for running the majority of government operations in Meskheti. *The Judicature of Meskheti mainly consists of a system based around as well as using a three tier court system. The High Court of Meskheti funcitions as the of Meskheti and is led by the Chief Justice, a position appointed by the senate and approved by the president. Below the High Court stands the District Courts, which are located in the seven districts of Meskheti. Finally there are the magistrate courts of Meskheti which are subdivided into civilian and criminal courts, and are located in most towns and cities in Meskheti. Political Parties The main two political parties in Meskheti are the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party. Generally both of these parties appeal to support from various strands of the Meskhetian right/left wing respectively. Currently the Democratic Party hold the majority of seats in the State Congress at 68 and in the State Council at 45, with the leader of the party Vladimer Gogichaishvili also being the chancellor of Meskheti. The Democratic Party under Gogichaishvili have so far promoted , and policies showing opposition to the Slavic independence movement and both and economic practices. The Socialist party, currently led by Elisabed Khutsishvili, is the main opposition in the State Assembly having the second largest amount of seats (22 in the State Council, 31 in the State Congress). The Socialist Party generally support programs, but has been ideologically split in the past between moderate social democrats and more hardline socialists, with the social democrats often being in power. The two largest minor parties are the Christian National Party and the Workers Party of Meskheti, both of whom have the remaining seats in the State Assemblies along with the Slavic People's Party and independents. The Christian National Party generally appeals to the in Meskheti being made up of an alliance of Christian parties in Meskheti. Some have commented that the Christian National Party often appeals to sentiment in Meskheti as well as gaining support from the growing number of in Meskheti. The Workers Party in comparison is mainly made up of former members of the Socialist Workers Party of Meskheti who refused to adopt the social democratic stance of the Socialist Party, instead retaining their policies. The Workers Party's popularity has only recently propelled them into government thanks to their manifesto often highlighting the success of New Communism, which is still remembered fondly by many Meskhetians. The third minor party in government is the Slavic People's Party, which mainly campaigns to uphold the rights of Slavs in Meskheti through democratic, peaceful means. The Slavic People's Party mainly gets votes from Slavic communities in Meskheti, especially in Pervomaisk. Minor parties in Meskheti include the Green Party of Meskheti, the Liberal Party of Meskheti, the Meskheti First, the Communist Party, the Anarchist Party, the New Conservative Party, and the Progressive Party. The Slavic Liberation Party which currently makes up the government of Kryve is the largest party banned in Meskheti. Administrative divisions Foreign policy Military Geography Economy Since 1989 Meskheti has transitioned away from a Soviet style with into a with various degrees of . As of 2015 Meskhet has a nominal GDP of $39.698 billion with $9,309 per capita, with a high HDI rating of 0.777. In early 2015 Meskheti along with adopted the as its currency over the traditional Meskhetian lia which had been used since 1882. Meskheti has encountered positive economic growth since the liberalisation of its economy, although poverty and wealth inequality remain prevalent in Meskheti. From 2004 - 2007 Meskheti's GDP increased rather rapidly reaching its peak in June 2006 at 6.1%. Since the of 2008 the Meskhetian economy has struggled to deal with unemployment and stagnant economic development. To combat this more government regulation has been implemented in Meskheti whilst cutting back on social welfare programs and taking loans from the . This has resulted in tepid economic growth in Meskheti although unemployment still stands high at 14%. Meskheti's biggest industries are based around oil and gas refinery, agriculture, transportation, telecommunication services and tourism. The primary agricultural exports in Meskheti are , , , and . Meskhetian companies also facilitate the building and maintenance of ship yards and railroads. Demographics Culture Meskhetian culture is strongly influenced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the assimilation of elements of Georgian, Slavic and Ottoman culture. Meskheti is most often associated with its traditions in literature, theatre, music and art. Architecture Meskhetian architecture has gone through several distinct periods. The original Slavic tribes and city states that inhabited the region mainly built up architecture partly resembling that of the Kievan Rus. Following the original Georgian settlement elements of Georgian architecture (such as domes and frequent use of bascillias) were introduced. The Ottoman Empire also brought new architectural styles to Meskheti with Ottoman architecture consisting of domes, semi domes, columns and Islamic influences being used frequently in Meskheti. The collapse of the Ottoman empire saw the rise of baroque architecture within Meskheti combined with Byzantine styles. During the 1920's more modern architectural styles were introduced in urban areas, but these still took a backseat to the more traditional variants. Following the creation of the People's Democratic Republic of Meskheti traditional architecture styles were replaced at first with , then architecture. Urban planning contributed to the creation of modern high rise housing blocks, something that had been avoided prior to 1950. Following the collapse of communism in Meskheti modern styles of architecture (such as and ) became popular in Meskheti. However, this resulted in a backlash in the mid 2000's over loss of culture has meant that has become one of the more dominant forms of architecture in Meskheti. Literature Theatre Theatre is highly popular within Meskheti, with genres spanning from traditional to more modern pieces centred around . Possibly the most famous Meskhetian playwright and director is Giorgi Palavandishvili, who pioneered what he coined to be "Alternate Naturalism". This theatrical style combines acting techniques in staging often making use of . Palavandishvili's plays themselves mainly focussed around a view of , with critiques of , but also included general themes of , , and . Palavandishvili's most famous plays include One September Evening, Titananicous, Judgement in her duty, and what is widely considered to be his , A Toast to the Pious. Other famous Meskhetian playwrights include Abraam Donauri, Eduard Guruli, Ilia Gogoladze, Meliton Chkhetidze, and Marine Vakhvakhishvili. Sport The most popular sports in Meskheti are , , and . Football is by far the most popular sport in Meskheti, with the national men's team even participating in the , although they failed to make it past the group stage, winning only against the and losing to Korea and . Football in Mesketi is divided into five leagues - the Premier league, the first league, the second league, the third league, and the local leagues. The Premier league consists of the 16 best football clubs in Meskheti, whilst the first league deals with the 25 next best teams. The second league also has 25 teams as does the third league. Teams advance to higher leagues if they are among the top four in the league at the end of the football season, whilst those at the bottom 4 places in the league are relegated to a lower league. Category:Altverse Category:Countries Category:Republic of Meskheti Category:Nations